Veterans to criticize Romney in swing-state ads

Other veterans in the ad chastise the GOP hopeful for failing to mention the war in Afghanistan during his speech accepting the Republican nomination.

"We deserve a commander in chief that understands what's at stake," Army veteran Kevin Johnson said.

The ad blitz comes a few days before Romney is set to give a major foreign-policy speech at the Virginia Military Institute, which the campaign promises will offer a “stark contrast” to the president’s policies.

“Where President Obama has shown weakness, a Romney administration will demonstrate strength and resolve,” the campaign said in a written advisory. “Where President Obama has shown equivocation, a Romney administration will demonstrate clarity and never hesitate to speak out for American values.”

The Truman Project’s ad is the first of many that the group plans to release in the run-up to the vice presidential debate next week between Vice President Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and the final two presidential debates later in the month.

"We think this is well-timed," Solimini said, given the remainder of the debates will focus partially or entirely on national-security and foreign-policy issues.

That focus could play into the president's favor, allowing the Obama camp to tout the administration’s plan to end the war in Afghanistan, its successful withdrawal from Iraq and the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Senior Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said Thursday that they are already making adjustments to the president's debate strategy in preparation for the next debate, scheduled for Oct. 16 in Hofstra, N.Y.

The Obama camp has repeatedly hit Romney for not clearly defining the candidate's position on Afghanistan or other national-security priorities.

Romney's claim during Wednesday night’s debate that military spending would be increased by $2 trillion under his administration is an example of "political pandering on the campaign trail," Truman Project Vice President Mike Breen said Thursday.

That said, the goal of the ad campaign is not to get President Obama reelected, Breen told The Hill.

"That's not our job. … At the end of the day, this is about [national security] policy," he said.